ADT provides an array of systems designed to protect and increase the security of your family, home, property, or business.
If you’re using an ADT alarm system that is going off for no apparent reason, then this guide will show you how to troubleshoot the system yourself prior to calling ADT customer service.
The main reason why your ADT alarm may go off include:
- Low battery
- Improper installation of sensors
- Issues with motion detectors
- Issues with the security cameras
- Smoke or heat detector malfunction
- Need for a reset
An ADT alarm system that goes off randomly without serious threats against your security, will not just bother your neighbors with the alarm sounding but will draw unnecessary police forces to your location.
Depending on the local laws, the homeowner may get fines if the police department gets false alarms. So, if your ADT alarm is going off for no reason, try the troubleshooting tips listed in this guide.
How to Fix ADT Alarm Going Off
Before troubleshooting your alarm system that is going off for no reason, you need to bypass the alarm’s zones in order to perform troubleshooting or testing on the system.
How to Bypass ADT Alarm Zones
It’s necessary to bypass the zones because you may get unwanted alarms while troubleshooting the system. Usually, the ADT alarm system lets the user know when and which sensor is faulty (and you can bypass only the sensor with issues).
In other words, if the system is going off because one sensor is getting incorrectly triggered, then you can just exclude that sensor and the system will no longer go off.
However, if the alarm panel doesn’t indicate any faulty sensor, you need to bypass each of them one by one until you find the one that is faulty.
So, if the alarm is going off, inspect the panel and bypass the faulty sensor. This way you’ll avoid false alarms, potential fines, the annoying sounding while scheduling a technician with the ADT.
You should check your ADT book (manual) and each sensor should have been numbered with the respective zone. There are a lot of ADT systems out there and the instructions vary (that’s why you need to check the user manual), but generally speaking, the steps are as listed below.
For most ADT alarm panels: enter your user code in the alarm panel followed by a single number, # or *, and then enter the zone code for the sensor that you want to bypass.
For the ADT touch screen panel (such as Command Center or Pulse): Select “zones” on the security menu, scroll up or down to the zone you want to bypass, select the zone, and then hit the “bypass” button. The system will ask you to confirm it by entering your user passcode.
Another option is to bypass all the faulty zones/sensors which will allow you to work without worrying about the sensors that are not working. You can also choose to bypass all of the “faulted” zones, which will allow you to work on just the problematic sensors.
Once the problematic zone is silenced, you can continue to troubleshoot the alarm system without worrying about false alarms.
Reasons why the ADT Alarm is going off
There is a myriad of reasons why an alarm system goes off. In the section below we’ve listed the most common ones, go through them and troubleshoot your system following the tips one by one until you nail the issue on the head.
ADT Alarm System has a low battery
When the battery is low or expired, the alarm system will sound an annoying beeping that is supposed to grab the user’s attention.
A low battery will compromise the system since it sends out a weak or non-solid signal that may cause the system to generate false alarms. This is the case especially if there was a power surge, or there’s a storm in your area.
Basically, you need to change the battery (or recharge it). Check the user manual and see what batteries you need to use for the panel and sensors. Most of them can be ordered online from any retail seller, but some devices require special batteries that can be acquired from ADT only.
So, locate the battery compartment, replace the expired one and reboot the system, or simply wait and the alarm beeping will disappear. Once the batteries are installed, the system will not generate false alarms.
Apart from the panel itself, the sensors may need new batteries (usually, they last 4-5 years). The panel will indicate which sensors (zones) are on low batteries. Regular sensors include:
- Motion detectors
- Window sensors
- Garage door sensors
- Smoke detectors
- Carbon dioxide detectors
- Heat sensors
- Water leak sensors
If the sensors are out of juice and you don’t have batteries at hand, you can silence the beeping by bypassing the zone where the sensor is located (via the main panel). Then, when you get the battery, replace it and reactivate the zone.
Sensor misalignment
Another cause of the alarm going off for no real reason is having the sensor misaligned. While they may have been aligned properly, over time the sensors may become misaligned especially during storms or even improper installations.
As per ADT requirements, ADT window sensors require a ¼ inch space between the magnet and contact. The door contacts require ⅛ inch space. If this distance is a little bit more, or a little bit less, then the ADT alarm may go off.
You need to inspect the sensors and ensure that there’s no deviation from the specs. If so, realign the sensors and the false alarms will disappear. You can do this yourself, or have an ADT technician do it for you.
Sometimes the sensors are moved from their positions by different pressures between various parts of your house.
One room may have low-pressure air, while the other is high pressure and when you close the doors, the rapid air movements may push the sensors from their position and cause them to go off.
Door rollerball sensor issues
Rollerball door sensors are single-piece sensors that are installed between the door frame and the hinge. When the door is closed, the rollerball closes the circuit. However, debris and moisture may go inside the sensors and cause them to malfunction.
The rollerball sensors require ⅛ inch space between the frame and the door. If this distance is not maintained, the alarm may falsely go off. Inspect it and see if there’s any visible issue with it. Since this type of sensor is wire, you may need to call an ADT technician for assistance.
Issues caused by the ADT motion detector sensors
Motion sensors have adjustable sensitivity levels that need to be customized to meet the needs of your alarm system. If it’s too sensitive, it may trigger false alarms without any significant events. Usually, the installer will calibrate them properly.
Some systems such as ADT Command Center or ADT Pulse have the option to adjust the sensitivity levels via their apps (such as ADT Control app, ADT Pulse app, or Blue by ADT app).
ADT motion sensors are pet-friendly and they use infrared tech to differentiate between people and pets. Most of the time the sensors have no issues, but some common mistakes may cause the system to generate false alarms.
Insects that fly close to sensors: Bugs such as moths, flies, and other flying creatures may often set the motion sensors off and that’ll generate a false alarm.
Lightweight objects caught in the air by air conditioning currents: Objects such as pieces of paper, fabric, lint, dust, etc may be flying around following the AC currents and that may cause the motion sensor to go off. This happens especially if the sensors are installed close to the air conditioning vents.
Improper installation of sensors: Let’s say the sensor is installed in a spot that gets a lot of sunshine. The temperature of the sensor will increase and that will cause the infrared sensor to trigger (and cause false alarms). Place the sensor high, preferably in corners, and avoid spots that get direct sunlight.
Ceiling fans: When the fans on the ceiling rotate, they may make the motion sensors go off. This happens especially when the air fan’s air currents may directly hit the sensor. Install the sensors in spots that are not affected by the ceiling fans.
Temperature changes: Extreme changes in temperature will cause the motion sensors to go off. For example, a spot near a fireplace, stove, heaters, etc, will get a lot of heat and trigger and falsely trigger the alarm.
Smoke or heat detector malfunction
The same levels of extreme temperature that affect motion sensors are also applicable to smoke or heat sensors. If you place the smoke/heat sensors close to a stove, fireplace, heat source, etc, the chance of getting false alarms will increase. Any level of smoke or overheating may trigger the sensors.
Make sure that the smoke/heat sensors are not installed in spots where they’ll be exposed to abnormal temperatures. In some cases, dust accumulation in the sensors may interfere with the signals and cause the unit to malfunction. Inspect the sensors and ensure there’s no dust build-up.
Issues caused by the carbon monoxide sensors
Dust accumulation may cause malfunctions in carbon monoxide sensors. It’s important to visually inspect them and ensure there’s no dust there. If so, you may need to contact the ADT team and make an appointment for an on-site technician.
Additionally, you should pay attention to the warning lights on your carbon monoxide detector. They’ll light up red if the batteries are about to expire and later on beep until the issue is fixed. Don’t disable the carbon detector altogether, if there’s a leak you may risk your life. Replace the battery immediately.
Issues with ADT garage door sensors
Garages are usually attached to the house and that’s the spot where the WiFi signal is weak. If the WiFi coverage is intermittent, then the sensors will get disconnected randomly and trigger false alarms.
Make sure the WiFi coverage extends all the way to the door garage sensor. If not, you may use a range extender to strengthen the WiFi signal and avoid any disconnection with the sensors.
The two-piece contacts of the garage door sensors need to be placed ⅛ of an inch apart from each other. If this distance is increased, then your alarm system may go off.
Sometimes, the garage door sensors are triggered and adverse weather conditions such as strong gusts of wind, swelling, and contracting of the hardware during extreme temperatures.
Moreover, garage door sensors come equipped with a “tilt” sensor powered by a CR2032 coin-sized battery. When the battery is low, the system may go off for no apparent reason.
ADT security camera issues
Even security cameras that are hooked up to the home automation system may trigger the system to cause false alarms. The cameras use a motion detection algorithm to detect any movements in front of the camera.
Sometimes the motion is triggered by irrelevant sources such as insects, trees moving under the wind, snow, spiders, sunlight effect, rain, leaves, etc. You can avoid these issues by repositioning the camera and adjusting the sensitivity levels on the settings.
Additionally, moisture, dirt, and dust can also accumulate, potentially causing the system to go off. Inspect all the cameras, and ensure they are clean, with no obstacles, no spider webs, and no reflective surfaces. It’s always recommended to physically check the cameras once in two months.
Reset the system and the router
It may happen that the security panel is not communicated well with the sensors and that may cause false alarms. Even the phone app may not be able to respond properly. A solution is to reset the main panel (for example ADT Pulse Gateway) and reboot/reset the router as well.
- Disconnect the network cable from the Pulse Gateway (this cable runs from the router to the ADT Gateway unit).
- Power off the Gateway (unplug the cord). Power off your router as well.
- Wait 5 minutes at least then power on the router first.
- Once the router is back on (all the lights are flashing correctly), power on the Gateway unit.
- Wait for the Gateway to boot up and then connect the Ethernet cable (previously disconnected).
Check the status of your Gateway through the phone app and ensure it is working fine.
Test your ADT system each month
The ADT alarm system needs to be tested at least once a month to ensure that it is functioning properly and there are no issues that may cause false alarms. Test the system:
- Power surge. A power outage may damage the equipment, burn the boards, and disable the sensors.
- After a heavy storm. Heavy storms such as thunderstorms, and snowstorms, may damage the sensors.
- Test the system. Run a system test via the alarm panel and ensure there are no error messages on the screen.
- WiFi password and ISP changes. Sometimes the Internet Service Provider may update their settings, or you have changed the SSID’s password. After such changes, test out the system so that all devices are communicating correctly.
You can visit www.myadt.com, navigate to “My Alarm” and then go to “Systems Management.” Here you can place your system in test mode. By default, the test mode will last one hour, during which, the ADT central will not get any alerts.
Conclusion
If the ADT alarm system is going off without any real reason, it’s possible that some sensors may have gone bad and need to be fixed. You can bypass the affected zones and then inspect the sensors one by one.
These issues are not quite common because the systems are usually installed properly. If not, then try this troubleshooting guide to fix any potential issue.
If you can’t fix it, then contact ADT and set an appointment with their technician. Either way, false alarms need to be addressed as soon as possible because you may get fined if the police show up at your house while nothing significant happened.